Destination Addiction: The Killer of Happiness

Beware of Destination Addiction: a preoccupation with the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job, and with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.

The moment I saw this quote, it resonated with me. It’s something we all face. It’s the need to get somewhere – that doesn’t necessarily exist – in order to feel fulfilled. To feel “happy.”

As I read this, such an overwhelming feeling of awareness mixed with frustration took over me. I felt aware and confident in this truth; I knew it was the way that my heart was meant to be – happy in every waking moment. But I was also frustrated because I would catch myself on a daily-basis thinking “if I do this, I’ll definitely be happier.”

And that’s the mess we get ourselves into. Waiting for something – or someone – to cure our unhappiness. It just isn’t real. I’ve become more aware of this through searching for answers; for example, I’ve been reading Spirit Junkie, an amazing book by Gabrielle Bernstein which focuses on enlightening her readers that all of the happiness they seek in the universe already resides inside of themselves. Pretty wild, right? How can all the happiness you need be inside of you? Without the money, the power, the love, and the achievements?

That’s exactly it. All of those things don’t take you to the true destination – the enlightenment of happiness. Happiness is breathing in air, looking at your surroundings, listening to the earths sounds, and feeling your feet roll off the ground as you walk. It’s recognizing that you’re simply alive. All of the other “wants” are just fillers. Fillers to create a thought pattern that “says” you’re happy. I believe that happiness is attained through simple luxuries of life: heartfelt conversations, a hug from your mother or father, and the moments where you realize that your health is the priority and, in return, you feel thankful.

On that note, I’d like to share another find in my research for correcting my thought processes: The concept of Mindfulness. In a nutshell, the Buddha advocated that a person should establish mindfulness in one’s day-to-day life; maintaining, as much as possible, a calm awareness of one’s body, feelings and mind. This is all interconnected with the concepts in Spirit Junkie. Be aware of yourself and happiness will appear – fully and truly.

It may sound to you like a bunch of hippie mumbo-jumbo at first. I know, because at first, it did to me too. But when I opened my heart and my mind to these concepts, I started to see all of the blocks I had created. I limited myself from happiness because I REALLY thought it was somewhere else. I thought that the perfect relationship would save me, or getting my dream job was going to take me to the perfect state of mind.

By meditating and prayer, I ran into many parts of my self that I was angry at – and then I broke those blocks by creating awareness to them. Breaking this negative thought pattern is a daily struggle, but I’m genuinely happy to have the opportunity to work on it every day. When I catch these thoughts (like the ones mentioned in the quote) I quickly snap back to reality and remind myself that I am thankful for this moment in time and I am happy with everything I already have inside myself. I think about all of the things I do have – health, family, and awareness of my own spirit. I remember that I have a bigger purpose on this earth, and that the universe is taking care of me.

And that’s it! Before I know it, I’m not stressing what will take me to the next level of happiness, because I begin to feel it in my heart. I feel happy with where I am, in “the now.” Everyone is different and breaks down these walls in different ways; but this is my story. I only hope to inspire many of you, as much as many inspire me. Wishing you all eternal love, peace and happiness in oneself.

Note: I’ve been away from LoveDrives for some time because I have been working on establishing my personal website project, DiamariTorres.com; but I do plan to come back in full-effect with LoveDrives as my overall business plan develops. Finally, I hope you all enjoy the content that’s posted here, so feel free to contact me with any of your inspirations – you may be the next blog piece for LoveDrives!

Words of Wisdom

"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of Your Love and Affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere... You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve Your Love and Affection" -Buddha